I have never been disappointed by a single Shaye Areheart Book I’ve read. I know a lot of readers don’t pay attention to who publishes what, but when you read as much as I do, you find certain lines and certain publishers just seem to be your cup of tea. With SA, you know you are in for great writing and a good solid story well worth your time. This is my first read by Chris Bohjalian and I can’t wait! Happy to make it this week’s Book in Bloom.
SECRETS OF EDEN by Chris Bohjalian (Hardback)
Product Description
From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.
“There,” says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels.
Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents’ murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.
But then the State’s Attorney begins to suspect that Alice’s husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.
Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives. Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems. As one character remarks, “Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect.”
About the Author
CHRIS BOHJALIAN is the critically acclaimed author of twelve novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Skeletons at the Feast, The Double Bind, and Midwives. His novel, Midwives, was a number one New York Times bestseller and a selection of Oprah’s Book Club. His work has been translated into more than 25 languages and twice became movies (Midwives and Past the Bleachers). He lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.
Visit him at www.ChrisBohjalian.com or on Facebook.
You can also read an excerpt of the first chapter, see a video with the author and buy the book with this link.
Thanks to Moroch, we’ve got a huge DEAR JOHN contest throughout the month of February with five winners to celebrate the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ novel, “Dear John,” starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, in theaters February 5th.
We’ve all got something to say. But let’s be clear: not all of us are writers.
In yesterday’s video reveal of our February Top Picks, I explained that Book End Babes will be hosting our own Happiness Project on our Facebook group for the next 12 weeks. THE HAPPINESS PROJECT by Gretchen Rubin is a February Top Pick and is our source for our HP series. I downloaded the group Happiness Project kit, which outlines our 12 weeks we’ll be spending together searching for our own personal happiness. Why do I want to do this? Let me count the ways. 
This pic is from another dear friend Shelley Cadamy’s 40th birthday party last fall of Kelley (L) and me (R). (Yes, that’s a feather in my hair, I was a flapper girl.)
In my novel Tainted, Henry, his grandaughter Holly and great-grandaughter Katy, make clam chowder – with clams Henry and Katy have dug on the beach. Clam chowder is one of my favorites, but I realize it’s easier to get the clams from the store than the beach so I have made this recipe accordingly:
Add drained clams, milk and cream mixture to pot
Book End Babes is Girls Night Out meets great reads, celebrating books and girlfriends. With real-life chapters around the country, we'll feature 4 Top Picks each month, share book reviews, recipes and prizes to start a reading revolution. The reviewed books are typically supplied by the publisher, though reviews are not guaranteed. BEbabes was founded by author Malena Lott. If you'd like to start a BEbabes chapter, click the envelope button below to contact me! 
